Verdict reached in ‘American Sniper’ case

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Verdict reached in ‘American Sniper’ case

Stephenville, Texas (CNN) — A verdict has been reached in the trial of the man accused of killing Chris Kyle, subject of the hit film “American Sniper,” and Kyle’s friend at a Texas firing range two years ago.

CNN reports Eddie Ray Routh has been found guilty of capitol murder.

The reading of the verdict is expected to begin soon. The jury began deliberations at 7:36 p.m. ET.

No one disputes that Eddie Ray Routh shot and killed the men. But defense attorneys say Routh was insane.

Prosecutors dismiss that claim outright.

“Ladies and gentleman, that is not insanity. That is just cold, calculated capital murder. He is guilty of capital murder. He is not in any way insane,” said attorney Jane Starnes during closing arguments.

Routh’s trial comes in the wake of the release of the film about Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who claimed to be the deadliest sniper in U.S. history, with 160 confirmed kills in Iraq.

“American Sniper,” directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper, is already the highest-grossing war movie.

Kyle’s autobiography by the same name spent weeks on best-seller lists. He had already risen to fame through his book when he died and was involved in charitable work to help former troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, took Routh to the firing range as a kind of therapy.

The range is a small, remote part of the sprawling 11,000-acre Rough Creek Lodge, and the men were isolated.

A hunting guide found Kyle, 38, and Littlefield, 35, who also was a veteran, motionless and called 911. The men were dead when officers arrived.

Jason Morris reported from Stephenville, Texas. Dana Ford reported and wrote from Atlanta.

1 Comment

Nonya Bizness

given the ungodly amount of publicity this movie has gotten, I’m sure the poor guy got a fair trial lol. I mean, how dare a man who after killing people for oil overseas come home and think people are trying to kill him claim insanity. Newsflash: sane people do not kill people- period.